WWE NXT: The options in front of Finn Balor

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver finished off with an important match between Finn Balor and Karrion Kross. The outcome saw Kross stand tall with the NXT championship in his hands. Balor’s second run as NXT champion is over, and questions arise as to what is next for him. There are options, but these next steps are imperative to keep Balor built as a top star as he continues this run in NXT or even takes steps to move back to the main roster.

Nearly two years ago, Balor returned to NXT to kick off what would be a rebirth of his WWE tenure. This run has allowed him to compete against some of the biggest names on the brand, including Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Timothy Thatcher, and plenty of others. This run has been a refreshing rebrand for Balor, painting him in a fashion like his time in New Japan leading into and the formation of the Bullet Club. He was putting on some of the best matches of his career and was a central figure carrying the promotion during this time.

But now what? Kross is the champion, and he is going to be built as the force that was planned before he hurt his shoulder against Keith Lee. Balor could force a rematch, but what changes would come to the story to make it more engaging than the first time around?

Perhaps his character returns to leveraging the Demon to combat the “occult” nature of Kross’s character. NXT’s creative has been better than “main roster” WWE, but that does not mean everything will work perfectly with this character being brought back for the first time in two years for this rematch. What would be the outcome? Does Kross defeat him again, killing the Demon for good? Or does Balor get the win, putting his character in a position to have to rely on the Demon moving forward, especially in a situation where there are not enough new challengers of interest?

Balor could turn his eyes toward another champion in Walter. There was a time when he and the longest-reigning champion were planned to face each other, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought an end to that. With Walter in NXT and coming off a dominating win over Tommaso Ciampa, moving on to Balor would be an intriguing situation for both men. There’s an opportunity there that creates must-see matches on the NXT brand.

Finally, would this iteration of Balor work on the main roster? The main roster has not been the best for the majority of the talent on the WWE roster. Even though Balor got a boost when he was initially introduced back in 2016, that situation quickly changed after his shoulder injury. With Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley firmly atop SmackDown and Raw, it is hard to see how Balor would fit into the equation at the top. While battles for midcard titles would be pleasing aesthetically, it would feel like a step down from where Balor is currently in NXT.

The next steps WWE takes with Finn Balor are important to keep him viable as a main event-level character. There are a few different options the promotion can take. Either way, after his two-year return to NXT, Balor has proved he’s still a top talent and the company needs to keep him in that position moving forward.